Update

Haven't updated because there hasn't been much to update in the way of training. Time has been extremely limited, though I would like to try to make writing a part of the routine, if only a few times per week. Certainly have plenty rolling around in my head, but very little time to spit it out on paper (or screen, as it were).

IDGAF

The sooner you stop worrying about what others will think of your actions, the better off you'll be. This doesn't mean be an asshole or don't consider others' feelings, but when you make a decision to do something, be comfortable and confident enough that you can defend it and do it without consequence. You'll feel a hell of a lot better.

Training 6/23/15

Been a loooooong time since I posted.

Power snatch from hang - worked up to 205x1, then dropped to 155 for 6 or 7 doubles
Pause squat - 225x6,5,4,3

Snatches felt much better than last week. Was doing too much thinking though. Just need more reps.

Training 5/29/15

Snatch-grip deadlift - 3x5 - 245, 3x3 - 275
Feet-elevated pushups - 2 mins b/w sets - +20 lbs - 30, 15, 10

A. Chest-supported DB row - 4x10 - 50s

B. Hanging leg raise - 3x10
Solid 80% session. Nothing great, nothing bad.

Training 5/25/15

Power squat - 225x5(x3), 245x3x3
Blast strap inverted row - 2 mins b/w sets - 16, 12, 12
A. Seated neutral-grip DB military - 4x10 - 50s
B. Ab wheel - 3x10

What an utter "meh" session.

Birthday Testing Session & Other Training

Did a training session on my birthday to see where I was at with some things. Overall, I was pretty happy with the performance.

BW - 197
Pullups - 15
Close grip - 300x1 (PR! Although my butt came off the bench slightly for a split second. I'm still counting it)
Close grip - 200x16
Feet-elevated inverted row - 25 in one minute
Pushups - 35 in one minute
Squat - worked up to 295 and shut it down. Quad/hip flexor just didn't feel good. Probably could have pushed up like 335, but I wasn't going to PR, so I didn't feel like pushing it harder than that.
Trap bar - 420x1
Squat - 200x32

Then yesterday (5/21/15) I did

A. Snatch-grip RDL - 2x5@185, 2x5 @205

B. Hanging leg raises - 3x10

A. Feet-elevated pushups - 3x10

B. Blast-strap inverted rows - 3x10

Just wanted to get some work in.

Training 5/6/15

A. Weighted chinups - 3x5 - +40 lbs
B. Front squat grip reverse lunges - 3x6/leg - 95
A. Power jerk - worked up to 205x5
B. Back extensions - 3x20

Didn't feel like training, so kept it lighter. Haven't jerked for reps (insert joke here) in ages. By the last few reps, it was getting a bit ugly.

Training 5/1/15

Rack deadlift from knees - 8x3 - 405 all sets
Dips - 2 mins b/w sets - +40 lbs - 20, 10, 10
A. Yates rows - 4x12 - 155
B. Hanging leg raises - 3x10

Utter dogshit. Need sleep and to decrease non-training-induced stress. Then I can probably start to make progress.

Current Training

I finished putting together a document outlining my current training and ways that you can manipulate it to meet various goals. If for any reason someone actually reads this blog, I'd love feedback on this.

Current Training

Training 4/27/15

BW: 199

Front squat - 8x3 - 225 all sets
Inverted rows, feet on floor - 2 mins b/w sets - +20 lbs - 22, 15, 13
A. Standing DB military - 4x12 - 60s x2, 55s x2
B. Ab wheel - 3x10

Was hoping to go heavier on front squat, but my hip flexor still feels like shit, so stayed lighter. Probably for the better, as I'm on the tail end of whatever malady I have right now (guessing upper respiratory infection since that's what my son has). Sleep has been hard to come by lately, so definitely need to get to bed earlier.

Training 4/24/15

Rack deadlift from knee - 405x3(x2), 425x3(x2), 455x3(x2)
Dips - +20 lbs - 2 mins b/w sets - 21, 16, 13
A. Yates rows - 4x12 - 155
B. Hanging leg raises - 3x10

Probably pushed the deadlifts harder than I should have, but oh well. Adding more weight to the dips next week will be fun...

Training 4/22/15

A. Weighted neutral-grip pullups - +40x5, +60x5, +60x5
B. Walking lunges - 3x8/leg - 115
A. Wide-grip (pinky on ring) 45 degree incline bench - worked up to 225x3
B. Barbell single-leg RDL - 3x8/leg - 115

Starting to get sick, which sucks fucking balls. I was pretty cashed by the end. Was still happy with the numbers though. One thing about the last few weeks on this program - I've realized just how much I haven't been pushing myself. Alas, all I can do is move forward.

Training 4/20/15

Front squat - 225x3x3, 245x3, 225x3(x2)
Inverted row (feet on floor) - +20 pounds - 2 mins b/w sets - 20, 12, 12
A. Standing DB military - 50s - 4x12
B. Ab wheel - 3x10

Was hoping to push the front squat heavier, but my hip flexor wasn't a fan of that idea. Just need to be aggressive about rolling and stretching it and I think I'll be OK.

Training 4/17/15

Rack deadlift from knees - 315x5, 365x5, 385x5, 405x3, 425x3(x2)
Dips - 2 mins b/w sets - 25, 16, 13
A. Yates row - 4x10 - 135, 155x3
B. Hanging leg raises

Not too bad overall. I think I've been taking in too many kcals this week because I've had hardly any soreness despite all new exercises. It's either the addition of carbs a few times this week, or just too many calories in general. Perhaps a combination. While dips in general I think are fine for the shoulders, I need to stay on top of my shoulder work to keep them from bothering my shoulders, as they were already feeling a little wonky during my pushups in the warmup.

Training 4/15/15

A. Weighted neutral-grip pullups - 3x5 - +40 lbs
B. Walking lunges - 3x8/leg - 95 lbs
A. Wide-grip (pinky on ring) incline bench (45 degrees) - worked up to 205x5
B. Barbell single-leg RDL - 3x8/leg - 95 lbs

Focus was so-so. Otherwise OK session. Hit about the numbers I expected.

Training 4/13/15

Front squat - 185x5, 205x5 (x2), 225x3, 245x3, 225x3
Inverted rows - 2 mins b/w sets - 25, 15, 13
A. Standing DB military - 4x10 - 50s x1, 60s x1, 50s x2
B. Ab wheel - 3x10

A surprisingly solid session despite my concentration being shit. I'm sure the copious amounts of food I ate yesterday helped quite a bit, as the weight felt better than I thought it would. I wouldn't say the 245x3 was "easy," but it wasn't near a max effort, either.

Training 4/10/15

Low-handle trap bar deadlift - 330x3, 350x3, 380x3, 350x3x3, 380x3, 350x3
A. Barbell pushups - +20 lbs x10, +40 lbs x10, +40 lbs x32
B. Chest-supported DB rows - 4x12 - 60s

The name of this blog is an homage to my mediocrity not only in terms of strength, but in general. Everything I've done in life I've topped out at mediocre. And the most frustrating part is that I know what I need to do to (hopefully) upgrade that to "average" in many of those realms, and yet I'm not taking those steps. Which of course only makes it worse. The pain, the frustration, it just compounds upon itself and makes everything that much harder. And then realizing that you're doing it to yourself adds another layer of shit on top. Maybe some day I'll turn it around. Someday. Why not today?

Training 4/8/15

A. Weighted wide-grip pullups - +40x3, +60 - 2x3
B. Goblet RFESS - 75 - 3x6/leg
A. Bench press - worked up to 285x1
B. DB single-leg RDL - 3x6/leg

I was pleasantly surprised with the weight I was able to handle considering the fact that I was up a little before 4 in the morning, added on top of a fair amount of non-training related stress (probably 90% self-induced, admittedly). I think I had 295-300, possibly more, in me for bench, but with no spotter I wasn't going to push it.

Training 4/6/2015

BW - 202
Took a pic and tried sending it to my email, but it didn't work for some reason. It's nothing impressive so I'm not going to try again

Parallel box squat - 8x3 - 295, 315, 275x3, 295x2, 315
A. Feet-elevated barbell inverted row - 10, 10, 22
B. Neutral-grip DB bench press - 4x12 - 80s
Hanging leg raise - 2x10

I'd say this was a low-end 80% session. I moved some decent weights (for me), but just felt tired as fuck and could not concentrate at all. Had a lot on my mind and just could not get focused on what I needed to. Hopefully I can get my head in order moving forward.

Introductory Training Idea

I’ve come up with (what I think) is a very solid general template for a trainee who does little to no resistance training, but wants to get started doing something. It can be done with little to no equipment (a medicine ball would be nice, but is not essential), and can be progressed/regressed/modified in any number of ways, based on the creativity and knowledge of the user. Basically, I came up with it when trying to think of a way that I could start my wife back into doing some training, without having to worry about weights, travelling far to train, or whatever other inconveniences may be in the way. The only thing you need is a decent strip of flat grass, and some decent weather. It can be done in inclement weather certainly, or if weather is prohibitive, can be done with modification inside.

Essentially, I married the framework of the low-intensity days from Dan Pfaff and Charlie Francis into an alternating scheme, in which it is essentially “high-low,” despite not really containing high intensity elements, save for medicine ball throws. You can adjust and add volume over time, to continually raise work capacity. You can utilize “corrective” exercises during the warmups and, over time, after the workouts. And, it can probably be done in under an hour each day, if you’re moving.

In an effort to get work capacity up, I think it could/should be done 6 days per week. Obviously if this is prohibitive, do it as frequently as you can. General setup:

Day 1 – “High”

- Dynamic Warmup, including any correctives necessary

- Dan Pfaff’s rudiment work AND/OR General Strength Circuits (Pfaff/Schexnayder/whatever you can come up with)

- Medicine Ball throws – can be multi-throws, rebounds, single-throws, etc. AND/OR Jumps

**The rudiment, throws, and jumps can all be done in multiple planes of movement, particularly if the athlete has a solid base of training and good posture can be maintained throughout. Posture should always be stressed and demanded. Feel free to switch the MB before the GS work, or even integrate it.

- Cool down, stretch/mobility

Day 2 – “Low”

- Dynamic Warmup, including correctives

- Tempo runs or alternatives – utilize abs/mobility work between reps or sets. Derek Hansen has a great article on tempo alternatives and setups here.

- Finish with a cool down and stretching/mobility work.

Basically alternate those days as many days per week as you have available. I think this setup is great for females or any males that are averse to weight training for whatever reason, or aren’t very strong anyway. By upping their work capacity, you will likely see their relative strength begin to take off, particularly if you are able to utilize the MB throws. It’s also great for people who see running as one of their only methods of fitness, because tempo runs, due to their shorter nature (go as short as you need), allow for better posture and mechanics. As well, body weight training, and even med ball throws, are likely less intimidating than other forms of resistance training. The athlete also runs faster during tempo than they would during a typical jog. I’m in the process of putting it all together with warmups, progressions/regressions, and alternatives, which I will hopefully post soon once I get it all hammered out. While periodization is not necessary for novice trainees, I do think aspects of training should be intelligently progressed and added, and not simply sprinkled in in a scattershot approach. 

Training 4/3/15

Low handle trap bar deadlift - 350 - 6x3
A. Barbell pushups - +20 lbs x10, +40 lbs x10, +40 lbs x30
B. Chest-supported DB rows - 50s - 4x12

Fuck me, that 350 was harder than I thought. Stuck with it for all 6 sets, but was hoping to do a little more. Maybe next week. Pushups went well. Decent 80% session.
I've spoken about Dan John's 80% rule, in which about 80% of your training sessions will be "punch the clock" sessions. These aren't necessarily easy or sessions you sleep through, it just means they aren't anything spectacular, and they aren't terrible. But the point is that you go in, focus, and get the work done. And this is the key. Too often, coaches get convinced that every session needs to be a world-beater to make progress, and that's simply not the case.
It's also important to channel your energy and efforts where they matter. The point of the 80% sessions is that not every day is going to be a PR. You can do that, if you rotate exercises so frequently that you're doing something different every day, but then how to you judge progression? Additionally, too many athletes try to "kill it" in the weight room, when their sport is not a weight room sport. You are an athlete that lifts, not a lifter that plays sports. As Charlie Francis noted, "what are the high intensity elements, and how does everything else support them?" If your sport is not in the weight room, the high intensity elements should rarely take place there. Put your efforts where they should be. Show up, and put in the work.

Training 4/1/15

A. Weighted wide-grip pullups - +20 lbs x5, +30 lbs x7, +40 lbs x5
B. RFESS - 60 - 3x6/leg
A. Bench press - worked up to 265x3
B. Single-leg RDL - 60 - 3x6/leg

Felt like I may have been able to get 275x3 on bench, but I'll leave the best effort for next week.

A few years back, there was a man by the name of Bill Stewart who was the football coach at West Virginia. While there, a story came out about one of his previous coaching stops in which he apparently had given the advice to one of his players to, "never give them a chance to call you a nigger." Setting aside the crudeness, there is a solid point there. There will always be a subset of people who will automatically see a black person in that light, regardless of how they act; or at the very least, they are looking for any inkling to "prove" that that's the case. It's unfortunate, but it's a reality.
Our brains work very much the same way. We have stories we tell ourselves about what we are, what we're capable of, that we're doomed to fail. And we look for confirmation every chance we get. Seth Godin calls this the lizard brain and it's very real. I have no doubt that it fades in time, but you have to fight it every day. It's just looking for that chance to say, "see, I knew you couldn't do it. I knew you would screw it up somehow." But as with anything, awareness is a start. If you don't realize it's there, you can't do anything to fight it. You simply accept it as what it is. Write a new story.

3/31/15

6x10 each:
Fat bar curls - 40 on the bar, don't remember what the bar weighs
Snatch-grip shrugs - 135
Rear delt flyes - 5 kg
Neck flexion/extension - 10 kg

6x10 each:
Neck lateral flexion - 10 kg
Forearm curls - 95
Abs - 50 reps each time thru
Forearm extensions - 15s

I realized this morning that I completely missed the fact that Friday was the anniversary of my father's death. It's not like it was a big milestone - 16 years, not one of those multiples of 5 that usually grab your attention more. But it did mark the fact that I've now lived longer without my father than I did with him. That milestone passed a few years back for my brother, and now it is the same for me. I guess I don't have anything deep or introspective to say about it other than it sucks. Although last year I remember being almost a bit angry that on the 15 year anniversary of his death, no one on Facebook said anything or made any tributes or anything like that. I can't say that I expected them to, but at the same time I felt like he impacted so many people that somebody would remember. Or maybe they did remember but didn't feel compelled to write something. And here I am a year later completely missing it. I guess it's just a reminder that, in time, everything fades. Obviously I haven't completely forgotten about him or anything like that, but with each passing year, I suppose the pain gets a bit less. Or my memory gets worse:). But I'm still grateful that I get to live with the lessons he taught me every day. But I also have to work a hell of a lot harder to be a man he would be proud of.

Training 3/30/15

Parallel box squat - 295x3(x6)
A. Feet-elevated barbell inverted rows - 10, 10, 22
B. Neutral-grip DB bench - 75s - 4x12

After continuing to tinker with the setup some more, I think starting with the next go-round it will look something like this (I will finish this 3 week cycle in the fashion I've started):

Monday
Squat variation - same sets & reps as now
Upper pull - 350 method
A. Upper push - modified RE/volume
B &/or C. Abs/rear delts

Wednesday
Same as now OR a modified 5/3/1 approach

Friday
Deadlift variation - same as now
Upper push - 350 method
A. Upper pull - modified RE/volume
B &/or C. Abs/rear delts

Gotta just embrace the process. I was not doing a good job of focusing, especially during my squats. As I say (yet again), need to get back into meditating. I need to remember it's not about the weight on the bar. Put the work in, focus on the task at hand, and the results will show up.

Training 3/27/15

Low-handle trap bar deadlift - 310x5, 330x5 (x2), 350x3x3
A. Barbell pushups - +20 pounds x10, +40 pounds x10, +40 pounds x16+9 (one chain fell off, had to put it back on)
B. Chest-supported DB row - 50s - 4x10

Deadlifts were feeling pretty good; so good, in fact, I thought 380 and maybe 400 would be in the cards for my last set. But once I tried 350 I knew that wasn't happening. Really caught me off guard, because while 330 wasn't "light," it wasn't particularly heavy, either. Oh well, still got a few weeks to build up anyway. I'll need to make sure to use the chains with the carabiners on them to hold them on. I tried them on my first warmup set, but didn't like the fact that I basically had to make sure I didn't mash the chain between my chest and the bar. Again, I'll fix it next week.
I think I'm also going to move my more movement-based warmup I've been doing, with power speed drills and so forth, to the "off" days, and utilize a mobility and calisthenics warmup I've used in the past. It takes longer, and it takes some getting used to, but it really ups work capacity and I feel a lot better using it. I just need to accept that training may need to take longer than an hour. Get my shit done so I can utilize the time better.

Training 3/26/15

Did a small circuit today. 5x thru:
Band curls - red - 12
Rear delt flyes - 10s - 10
Ab wheel - 8-10
Walking on toes, barbell on back - 135 - 25 yards

Nothing exciting. Probably nothing that will really impact much, other than to raise work capacity a bit and burn a few extra calories.

"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." -Eleanor Roosevelt
I don't know why so many people feel the need to discuss the lives of others - hell, many times it's people they don't even know. The fact is, most people have enough fucked up shit in their own life to take care of, they should be more worried about that. But I suppose discussing others' inadequacies might relieve the thoughts of your own long enough to get you through the day. Thank God I've long since (mostly) moved on from doing so. I'm certainly guilty from time to time, but I think overall I do a pretty good job of avoiding it. Besides, most of the time I do it, it's people who are consciously making the decision to be charlatans, which irritates me to no end. So fuck em.

Training 3/25/15

A. Wide-grip pullups (hands on the bend) - 3x5 with +20 pounds
B. RFESS - 3x6/leg - 50 pounds
A. Bench - worked up to 245x5
B. Single-leg RDL - 3x6/leg - 50 pounds

Just could not stay concentrating the way I need to. Also, the bench was way harder than I expected, especially because 225 felt pretty easy while working up. I think I may work in more sets of 5 on the build-up on the 5s week from here out, as the volume was pretty low.

Training 3/24/15

5-6x10 (lost count, may have done 6 times thru instead of 5):
Barbell curl
Calf raises - 185
DB shrugs - 90s

5x10:
Band tricep pushdown - gray
Neck flexion/extension - 10 kg
Forearm curls - 95
Wrist extensions - 15s

Ab circuit - 400 total reps

Training 3/23/15

Box squat to parallel - 275 - 3x5, 3x3

A. Barbell inverted row - feet on floor x10, feet on bench x10, feet on bench x20

B. Neutral-grip DB bench - 4x12 - 75s

The parallel on the box squat is technically a lie, since upon video review the top of my thigh is ever so slightly higher than my knee. That said, it's close enough. Was a lot harder than I remembered it, as I though 275 would be easier than it was. However, I think the main problem was simply not staying tight enough. The first set of 3 I could tell I set up really well and that set felt far and away the best. No abs at the end, as they felt pretty worked by the squat work. All in all took me a little over an hour between warmup and a short cool-down on the bike. I think if I had gone slightly lighter, into the 70ish% range (you know, like I tell other people to do?:)) I probably would've gotten done a little sooner as I wouldn't have had to rest quite so long between sets. That said, I'll adapt to the workload soon enough and we'll go from there.

Training 3/20/15

Squat - clusters (30 sec b/w reps) - 295 - 3x6

Bench - clusters (30 sec b/w reps)  - 245 - 3x6

1x20 each:

Bent-over row - 115

Band tricep pushdowns - gray

Barbell curl

At this point I'm going to switch to the template I posted a few weeks back utilizing some concurrent methodologies. While that means cutting this particular training program short, and not realizing the gains I have (hopefully) made, I need something with a bit more flexibility. My back has been giving me trouble here and there, so I need to switch it up a bit to give myself some leeway to change things on the fly if needed. I can still do that with the block model I was following, but it is more rigid. So, the basic outline will be:

Monday:

Squat variation - 3x5, 3x3 wk.1; 6x3 wk. 2; 8x3 wk. 3 (although that is all subject to change)

A. Upper pull RE

B. Upper push modified RE (volume)

Heavy abs (optional)

Wednesday:

A. Heavy/ME upper pull

B. Quad-dominant single-leg

A. Heavy/ME upper push

B. PC-dominant single-leg

Heavy abs (optional)

Friday:

Deadlift variation - same sets/reps as squat

A. Upper push RE

B. Upper pull modified RE (volume)

Heavy abs (optional)

The in-between days will be used for abs/forearms/neck/guns/etc. Or LISS. Just something to get some work in.

My diet is changing as well, as I'm adopting something akin to Jamie Lewis' Apex Predator Diet. Basically, it'll be 3-4 protein shakes per day plus a couple pounds of wings or a bunch of eggs. For now, I'll do one cheat (generally Friday night), and I start getting even leaner, I may move that to 2. We'll see how it all goes.

Training 3/18/15

Deadlift - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 315 - 3x8
1x12 each:
Standing DB military - 65s
Chinups
DB shrugs - 100s
Hammer curls - 30s

Training 3/16/15

Squat - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 295 - 3x10
Bench - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 245 - 3x10
1x15 each:
Bent-over row - 115
DB overhead tricep extension - 60
Barbell curl - bar

Well, it was certainly difficult, which wasn't surprising. I actually did pretty well for the first 6-7 reps of each set. The last 3-4 were definitely grinders, but not terrible until the last set or so. That said, it was a teachable moment. Basically, you realize at the end of the set, when you're tired and wanting to just take a longer break, feeling sorry for yourself, that the iron doesn't care. The iron is the same as it's always been, and the same as it'll be tomorrow. Self-pity will get you nowhere. So nut up, and get the work done.

The Stories We Tell Ourselves

"I need coffee," or "I need an energy drink," or "I can't work in silence, I have to have music or the TV on," or something to that effect. What you come to realize is that they are lies. It is a story you have told yourself. And you've told it to yourself enough that you now believe it to be true. If you don't believe me, try going against it sometime. Just sit down to work, and start doing. Just for 10 minutes. Once you get to 10, tell yourself, "just a bit longer." And then, "just a bit longer." And eventually, you won't even have to tell yourself that. You'll just keep going. The problem with habit forming is that you can't just do it once. 

Once is great. It's awesome. It's a start. But it doesn't make a new habit. 
You will have to force yourself to do it every time, for a while. But eventually, it will get easier. And easier still. And eventually it will become automatic, and you'll start replacing old habits with new ones. And you'll wonder why you ever did it that way before, because the new way results in so much more getting done, and the satisfaction that comes with that. But it's not easy getting there, which is why many people don't. Hell, I'm not. But at least I'm aware of it. Which is a start.


"Fear is the mind killer.

Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear.

I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.

Only I will remain." -Frank Herbert

Training 3/13/15

Squat - 275 (cluster sets - 30 sec b/w reps) - 3x5
Bench - 225 (cluster sets - 30 sec b/w reps) - 3x5
1x20 each:
Bent-over row - 95
Overhead band tricep extension - orange
Cambered bar curl - bar +30
Ab wheel
Good mornings - 95

Decided to do a heavier "deload" and drop the volume ever so slightly. The hope is this will stave off what Dan Pfaff calls Acute Relieving Syndrome, in which the body essentially takes a day or 2 to rev back up following a deload if the drop in intensity is too great. We shall see.

The Fear of Stupidity

From Seth Godin's "What to Do When it's Your Turn":

Stupid is not uncommon. Stupid is the way we feel when working on a difficult problem. Stupid is the emotion associated with learning – we are stupid and then we are not. The pre-learning state is stupidity.

A scientist might work ten years on solving a problem of math or logic or biology. Or a lifetime. And until the problem is solved, she’s stupid. And then she isn’t.

Which is all fine, actually.

The problem comes with the emotion that we’re supposed to feel when we feel stupid: Fear.

We are supposed to be afraid of stupid, to get stupid over with as soon as we can.

Change, of course, makes everyone feel stupid, because change breaks all the old rules, inventing new ones, rules we don’t know (yet).

And so the equation is obvious: Change à Stupid à Afraid.

One way to avoid this is to avoid change.

One way to avoid this is to avoid freedom.

The best way to avoid this is to embrace stupid and skip the last part.

There’s nothing to be afraid of. Nothing except avoiding the feeling of stupid. And stupid is a good thing.

Training 3/11/15

Deadlift - 215 (cluster sets - 30 sec b/w reps) - 3x8
2x10 each:
Standing DB military - 50s
Pullups
Glute-ham raise
DB shrug - 80s
Hammer curls - 25s

I've decided that the drive to write every day is a wasted effort. Not because I think it is bad in and of itself, but a writer isn't what I want to be. Forcing myself to write for an extended amount of time about something that is not specifically parallel to my goals is, in my opinion, wasted time (not that I don't already waste a fair amount). That doesn't mean I won't post anymore - certainly the thought and need to write will arise, and I will write then. It may be on any topic, much as I've written up to now. Training, fatherhood, sports, random shit, whatever. And I'll still keep my training log. But daily content probably won't be a reality, unless I decide to try to write more on training. But the more I think about it, I am a coach, and that's what I want to be. I don't care about being a writer, philosopher, or e-personality.

Training 3/9/15

Deload week
Squat - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 205 - 3x10
Bench - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 170 - 3x10
1x15 each:
Bent-over row - 95
Overhead band tricep extension
Cambered bar curl - bar +30
Ab wheel
Good morning - 95

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned before the quote that I read from Lou Holtz - "Frustration is realizing you have no one to blame but yourself." It's one thing to make mistakes. We all make mistakes, and the more we try to accomplish, the more mistakes we will make. They are the cornerstone of any successful person. But it becomes problematic when we continually make the same mistakes. Often is is simply a result of our habits leading us astray. But if we want to be better, we have to realize it and correct it. Put things in place to ensure that it doesn't happen. See problems before they arise. What generally causes you to go off track? What can you do to keep it from happening? These are the questions that must be addressed on a daily basis.

Listen to the Words, Maaaaaan

“What you do speaks so loud I can’t hear a word you’re saying.”

Part of the problem with our 24/7 news cycle and endless entertainment options is that stories have to be created so that people have something to be entertained by. Nevermind that the majority of them are simply who gives a fuck stories that aren’t worth anyone’s time. It frustrates the ever living hell out of me when I hear or read someone say “well so and so said this,” often in the sporting realm. Well guess what, what someone says is completely irrelevant, because what they actually do is the final arbiter. Actions should speak louder than words, but unfortunately too often they do not. It is also for this reason that I do my best to keep my word, and also make sure I only make promises I can keep.

Actions are the currency of society. Make sure you're paying in cash, not credit.

Training 3/6/15

Realized I forgot to post yesterday. Argh.

Squat - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 3x6 - 280
Bench - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 3x6 - 230
1x20 each:
Yates row - 125
Overhead band tricep extension - orange
Cambered bar curl - bar +55

I'll use an oldie but goodie from Jim Wendler for today's post:

The meaning of life? Wow. I had a long talk with my wife the other night and we talked about this. Now this is my opinion so many people might not agree with me. The meaning of life, according to me, is to make the world around you a better place. Let me explain. I hear all the time how people need to “make a difference” and “lend a hand”, etc. The problem with this is that most people think that in order to make a difference you need to cure cancer or save a starving nation. They feel like they can’t make a difference. The key is the phrase “the world around you”. This needs to be clarified. The world around each person is different. You don’t have to venture to unknown lands to make a difference. Let’s examine Dave Tate. Dave started EFS and has helped thousands of people reach their training goals. He has answered countless e-mails, phone calls and coached at many seminars. He has helped the lifters at Westside Barbell as well as visitors and coaches that came in. Without realizing it, this helped his business grow. In doing so, he has had the ability to hire more people (let’s use me as an example) and help them achieve a great life. Of course, there is his family and friends, but you get the point. Dave, in the world around him, is making things better.

Even simpler, just thank the people that serve you on a regular basis. Thank the waiter/waitress and the people at the bank. A smile isn’t that difficult.

Understand that we all have a different world that surrounds us. Let’s be honest and say that most lower/middle class people have little shot at being President of the United States. You have to have money to win. But those that choose to embrace that potential role need to take into account that their world is now vastly different than most of ours. But, and I digress, the values of those in the political machine are so vastly different than most Americans, that I wonder if they even realize when they are doing something wrong. I will use Woody Allen as an example. When he married his adopted daughter, everyone thought he was a sick bastard. But sometimes I wonder if Woody Allen’s morals, having been away from the normal world for so long, were so skewed that it really didn’t phase him. The same can be said with many of those in the federal government. How long do you have to be part of the process that everything you were taught when you were young goes out the window?

As far as the biggest problems today – I think the biggest thing is the lack of spirituality in the world. Now this may surprise some people because I have a huge pentagram tattooed on my arm and other assorted “evil” goodies. But again, let me clarify. Spirituality can have a religious context, but it doesn’t have to. What I see around me is a lot of people who are relying on physical objects for emotional well-being and self worth. They believe that by having X car or X house that their life will be better. Look at all the credit card debt and all the commercials on TV that are trying to sell you something. They aren’t selling you a product, they are trying to make you feel guilty if don’t have the correct pair of jeans. They want to make you feel that if you don’t have something, you are worthless. The best thing I ever did was severely limit my TV watching and start going outside more. I don’t get caught up in petty gossip and try to stay away from negative people.

I used to get really mad about some of the above things, but realized that I have a family that I need to take care of and these values are something that I need to pass on. I can’t clean the world if my own house is a mess.

Try, Fail; Try Again, Fail Again...

A never-ending thirst for improvement is necessary to keep pressing forward. Never being satisfied, never being content with the way things currently are. Unfortunately, I do not necessarily possess this, at present. However, as I have discussed all up until now, this is trainable. And I intend to ingrain it in myself. You see, I have a very hard time seeing things as particularly bad for myself, no matter how bad they truly are. How can I possibly be so far down on myself, when I have a beautiful wife, a beautiful son, a roof over my head, and a refrigerator and pantry stocked with food? Not worrying whether I might be shot or beheaded for my views. Not wondering where my next meal will come from. Every time I start to get down on myself, I simply remind myself how good I really have it. That said, I’m far from thriving (relatively speaking), and I don’t have everything I want. And that should piss me off and drive me. And of course, this gratuity for what I have, and this longing for more, do not need to be mutually exclusive.

It’s easy for me to blame it on others – getting sucked into bad habits that take me away from the things I need to do to accomplish my goals. That’s called discipline – doing what you need to do, when it needs to be done. I constantly find myself admiring those who have built these large businesses – say what you want about business practices, but the ability and discipline to set up something so large is quite remarkable, and something you can’t really appreciate until you’re trying to do it yourself.

You will try, and you will fail. You will start a lot, finish not as much, and you won’t like a fair amount of it. But that’s all part of the process. The time you sit by with the fear of imperfection is time wasted, that could have been spent doing and learning. I saw a great quote the other day that said something to the effect of, “an expert has failed more times than a beginner has tried.” It’s a mantra I have to keep repeating to myself, because I am that person sitting on the sidelines, fearing imperfection. I constantly am asking myself, “but what if it isn’t right?” It’s the same question that the greatest in each field had to ask themselves, and likely did, many times. But they forged ahead, and found out that being wrong isn’t the final bell. Success is never final, failure is never fatal. Because even if what we do is right, that doesn’t mean the end of the journey. It just means we’ve found one way, in that particular instance, that is successful. It won’t stay that way forever, and you have to keep moving ahead, keep putting yourself in a position to be wrong, keep learning, and keep getting better.

Training 3/4/15

Deadlifts - cluster sets (30 seconds b/w reps) - 3x8 - 295
2x10 each:
Standing DB military press - 65s
Pullups
Glute-ham raise
DB shrugs - 100s
Hammer curls - 35s
Hanging leg raise

The deadlifts actually felt pretty light in all honesty. I don't remember exactly how 275 felt last week, but I would venture a guess that it was pretty similar. The lack of sleep is catching up to me, however, especially since I felt the need to take in more caffeine, which really just left me feeling shaky and not the best. Lesson learned, hopefully.

Living outside of the guidelines and principles we espouse and proclaim to hold sacred is one of the worst things we can do for our mental health, in my opinion. Conversely, living within them is one of the hardest things we can do. We have hundreds of small choices, and occasionally some big choices, to make every day. What will you use to guide those decisions? Will you stay true to your principles and philosophies, or will you take the easier route in that moment? Will you justify it to yourself, knowing that only you know for sure why you make the choices you do?

Training 3/2/15

Squat - cluster sets (30 seconds b/w reps) - 3x10 - 280
Bench - cluster sets (30 seconds b/w reps) - 3x10 - 230
1x15 each:
Yates row - 125
Overhead band tricep extension - orange band
Cambered bar curl - bar +55
Ab wheel
Good mornings - 115

Next week is a deload, but 2 weeks will be very interesting methinks. I made it through all the reps obviously, but both the squat and bench call for 15 more pounds next time. I will say, if I make it through I think I'll feel like fucking Superman.

The session was going decent, but ran into a speed bump in the middle. I won't go into specifics, but I contemplated shutting it down. Instead, I decided to push through and get it done, and wallow in my sorrows later.

As I sat there feeling sorry for myself and all the fuckups in my life that have brought me to this point, I kept reminding myself that I have no choice but to move forward. We can't fix decisions that have been made. We can change the consequences of those actions. But we can try to learn from the mistakes and make better decisions from here onward.

Time is the one thing everyone has. We all start with the same amount, every day. And we can choose to spend it on whatever we want. But you must also realize that it is never wasted, because you have decided where it will go. The sooner you realize that, the sooner you can decide where you will spend your minutes, hours, and days. 

The time that has been spent is gone. The time that is to come is not here. Be aware of your current status, and where you want to be. Start walking the path, prepared to meet whatever obstacles will inevitably be in your way head on. I can say from (admittedly brief) experience that a life lived in this fashion is the only way to live. Go get what you want. Work for it. Earn it.

Overcoming the Fear

Doubt, fear, hesitation, call it what you want, but it exists in everyone. Some are just far better at pushing and keeping it in those dark spaces. In others, it talks much louder. But it can also come down to how loud you allow it to be. That’s right – how loud you allow it. We all want to pretend we’re victims of our own thoughts, when in reality we can truly control how we think and feel. As with anything, this may require far more work for some people than others. It might require mindfulness or other meditation, it might require any number of strategies. It might require a lot of practice or almost none at all. But the fact is, barring some true psychological issue stemming from a physiological abnormality (some sort of chemical imbalance which can only be treated via medical intervention), we have control over our thoughts and actions. Again, people don’t want to believe it, because it means that it is our fault that we exist in our current condition. And undoubtedly, we are all products of our environment to an extent. We can never truly separate the nature and nurture. However, we can do our damndest to maximize our situation.

Training 2/27/15

Squat - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 3x6 @ 260
Bench - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 3x6 @ 215
1x20 each:
Yates row - 115
Band overhead tricep extension - orange
Cambered bar curl - bar +50
Ab wheel
Good morning - 115

Don’t try to rush quality work.

People will set out to achieve some training-related goal, but put the qualifier in that their training must be time-efficient (i.e., they can’t invest a ton of time into it). While I understand the importance of time, because we only have so much of it, and wanting to be time efficient, because I’m guilty of it myself, the truth is if you want something, you’re probably not going to be able to put those type of restrictions on it. If you’re truly serious about accomplishing it, it’s going to take blood, sweat, tears, and time.

Think if you were to say, “I want to train BJJ every day, but only for an hour, and get my black belt in a year.” Sure, you might be able to if you’re already a high-level brown belt, and even if you’re not, you will make great progress doing that. But you won’t be able to reach that level (and you won’t get there in a year almost regardless of time investment) with those kinds of restrictions. And that’s OK. Simply be willing to adjust your expectations to meet your level of commitment. Too frequently, people want it all, and they want it now, and they want it without having to do the work. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Anything worth having is going to take work, and more importantly, it’s going to take time. Some people start out further ahead, closer to the goal. But they still will take a long time to get there; that’s just the way it is.

I once read a quote from Alwyn Cosgrove (which he probably stole from somewhere else) that you can have something with 2 out of 3: fast, quality, cheap. It can be ready fast, and be of good quality, but it won’t come cheap. It can be fast and cheap, but it won’t be high quality. And it can be high quality and cheap, but you better be willing to wait for it. As soon as you realize these things, you can set your expectations appropriately. This doesn’t mean don’t challenge yourself, but don’t be too let down when you don’t quite get what you want, in the time you want.

General Organism Strength

The concept of General Organism Strength was a key tenet of Charlie Francis’ training model. In essence, strengthening the body in any area will increase strength all over. The point of such a concept is that general force outputs affect the body in such a way as to increase force production everywhere. Obviously the musculature being used during the activity will receive the greatest stimulus – this is without question. However, depending on the movement and the forces being produced, the impact on the rest of the body can be quite great. Charlie often pointed to Ben Johnson’s 365 pound bench press as a perfect example of General Organism Strength in action. If one were to only look at the lifting portion of Ben’s training, there is no way he would have been capable of such a feat of strength. However, when one considers the great volume and intensity of sprint work, medicine ball throws, and jumps that Ben was performing, in addition to a low volume of weight work, the mechanisms become a bit clearer.

I personally experienced this phenomenon while in college. I was never particularly strong growing up (and still am not). During this particular point in time, the bulk of my training was spent doing Olympic lifts and squatting, with some effort being put into accessory lifts such as bench pressing, rows, pulldowns, etc. I also had never been capable of doing pullups up to that point. However, I remember one day when the program called for pullups or lat pulldowns, and I decided I wanted to give chin-ups a try, just to see if I could get one. Much to my surprise, I banged out 4 with probably a couple to spare. Now, I had been performing lat pulldowns in my training, but this was nothing new, as I had done them before. I was doing rows, but again, this was nothing new. What had changed was an emphasis on larger loads and compound, high force lifts which increased the stress on my body greatly. The result was an increase in overall systemic strength.

That was a concept that our strength coach discussed often, although not using that nomenclature. I’m also pretty certain he was unfamiliar with Charlie’s work, so it’s a concept that has been around for some time. The biggest take away from it is that one does not need to necessarily concern themselves with high loads and volume for every possible aspect of the training. Realize the impact that one piece has on the other pieces of the puzzle. A few quick examples from my athletes – a 300 squat despite nothing over 210 for 3x3. A female basketball player recently hit a 20 pound squat PR despite squatting 1 time per week, with low volume, and nothing over 85% of previous max (equivalent to 74% of new max). The totality of the stress imparted to the athlete, as well as the fact that the maturing body will naturally get stronger, should prompt the coach to be conservative in their weight room loading for non-iron athletes.

As an easy example, think of planning out your day. You wouldn’t simply make plans without considering what other obligations you have already would you? And you wouldn’t schedule a meeting to end at 1 o’clock, with another meeting at 1 in a completely different part of town? Because you know that it will take some time to get to the next destination and be prepared. Use the same concepts in your own training. Note the impact that any given session has on you, and plan accordingly.

Training 2/25

Deadlift - cluster sets (30 sec b/w reps) - 275 - 3x8
Circuit - 2x10 each:
Standing DB military - 60s
Pullups
Glute-ham raise
DB shrugs - 100s
Hammer curls - 30s
Hanging leg raises

“Only the mediocre are at their best every day”

Randall Carlson’s appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast got me thinking about this. In it, he’s talking about the drastic shifts throughout history in regards to climate and what likely brought those changes on. Generally, it was likely meteor impacts which caused massive shifts in the climate, which brought on rather dramatic changes in populations of life on earth, as well as changes in human technology and societies. Essentially, global cooling periods greatly depressed populations, while warming periods were times of massive growth.

This, as usual, has many parallels to training.

Charlie Francis (via Bud Winter) – High/low

Deload periods – every 3-4 weeks

Block periodization – accumulation (lower intensity, increasing gradually), intensification (very high intensity), transmutation (intensity is high, but frequency is low, to allow for growth and improvement)

Dan John – Park bench & bus bench workouts; 80% days, -10% days, +10% days

Basically, there will be periods in which great growth and progress will be made, and other times where progress will be slow to non-existent. It’s important to keep moving forward through the slow times, though, because when you come out the other side may be when your most productive training occurs.

Carlson talks about this - that during those times when things were bleak, the idea of preserving technology is put on the backburner, and survival becomes the modus operandi. Once a period of warming comes along, then re-population and improvement in technology can proceed. Sometimes that’s all you can hope to do during those down times – weather the storm and tread water. Other times, however, you can use that time to really build a solid foundation of lower intensity work upon which you can really blast off of after.

Personal Trainers...ugh

Anyone who knows me knows my general stance on 98% of "personal trainers" out there. They mostly suck.

The dirty little secret is that personal trainers, largely, are a waste of money, particularly if your goal is merely to “get in shape.” They are glorified rep counters whose only real job is to make sure people show up and actually go through the motions. If you are someone with a disability or definitive need, you are better off seeing a physical therapist who can prescribe the necessary exercise and educate you in proper movement patterns to avoid aggravating the injury and to rehab what you do have.

If the goal is weight loss, diet will be the biggest factor, in which case a dietitian (well, one who actually knows what the fuck they’re doing) is needed more than a trainer. And even in that case, the bottom line on weight loss is not difficult – get enough protein, and keep calories in a deficit. That’s it.

Now, if you want to actually accomplish a physical goal, the necessity for a coach rises, depending on what it is you want to accomplish. If it’s merely “I want to run a marathon,” then the only requirements are sufficient money in your account to pay the entry fee and any travel, as well as a pair of shoes and clothes. Then you just need to build up enough work capacity and mental fortitude to endure the event. If the goal is a specific time, again, this is when a coach or trainer comes in handy. However, depending on just what that time is, you may be very well served to simply give it a go on your own, as there is nothing special required from a programming standpoint to run a 4 hour marathon. More power to you if you do, just know that it’s not a particularly great accomplishment.

So, after all this rambling, the point is this – know what you want to achieve, then seek out the right person to help you achieve it. If it’s weight loss, save your money and buy something from Lyle McDonald to learn how to set up a diet properly. If it’s an actual physical ability you want to get better at, seek out a coach who can get you there.

Be the Hero of Your Own Movie & Training Update

"The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short, but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark." -Michelangelo

I know I'm guilty of this. Hiding behind fear, doubt, self-pity, and defining myself by my past mistakes. Telling others to be bold and brave while cowering in the corner. But how can I possibly tell my son to life his life with gusto and no fear if I'm not willing to do the same? I want to be a fucking superhero. To me, to my wife, to my son. I want to be someone I'm proud to look at in the mirror every day. And I'm not that right now. So I vow to change it. To fill my days with as much work toward my goals as I possibly can. To earn my downtime. To take big risks and fail regularly, only to get up and try again.

That doesn't mean I'll go about it like an idiot - planning and intelligent risk is still better than going at it like a damn kamikaze. But we're greater than we realize, if we're willing to earn it.

Friday 2/13
Squat - 275x1, 245x3x3, 275x5x3 in 15 minutes
Deadlift - 275 - 5x3, fatigue singles 315, 365, FAIL 405
Front squat - 135 - 2x20

Monday 2/16
Pullups - 14x3 in 15 minutes
Kroc rows - 100 - 35/arm
A. DB shrug - 90s - 20, 16, 13, 10
B. Far bar curl - bar +50 - 3x10 (I was still sore until yesterday from this)

Wednesday 2/18
Incline bench - 95x5, 115x4, 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1
A. Close-grip bench - 205 (75%) - 5x5
B. Face pulls - 5x30
DB military - 2 minutes b/w sets - 65s - 25, 10, 10
Band overhead tricep extensions - orange band - 3x12

Friday 2/20
Squat - 295x1, 255x3x3, 235x5x3 in 16 minutes
Deadlift from 1" deficit - 295x3x5, 345x1
Deadlift - double overhand with straps, touch and go - 315x8

Monday 2/23 (start of transmutation)
Cluster sets on squat & bench - 30 seconds between reps
Squat - 3x10 - 260 (78%)
Bench - 3x10 - 215 (78%)
1x15 each:
Yates row - 115
Band overhead tricep extension - orange
Cambered bar curl - bar +50
Ab wheel
Good morning - 115

Training 2/11/15

Floor press - 95x5, 115x4, 135x3, 155x2, 185x1, 205x1, 225x1, 245x1
Close-grip bench - 195 - 5x5 superset with
Face pulls - 5x30
Incline bench - 2 mins b/w sets - 135 - 24, 12, 8
A. Lateral raises - 15s - 4x12
B. Pushdowns - gray band - 4x12

Went to the barbell for the 350 work, and holy hell did it kick my ass. Probably due to the greater range of motion on each rep. That said, it was good. Overall decent day.

Training 2/9/15

Pullups - 36 (12x3) in 15 minutes  - fewer than last time. Ugh.
T-bar row - 2 minutes between sets - 90 - 25, 15, 12
A. Trap bar shrugs - 200 - 4x25
B. Cambered bar curls - 60 - 4x12

Training 2/6/15

Squat - barx10, pause squat - 95x5, 135x5, 155x4, 185x3, 205x2, 225x1, 245x1, 275x1
Squat - 225 - 5x5 in 11:30
Deadlift from 1" deficit - 275 - 5x3
Dimel deadlifts - 135 - 2x20

Nothing special. 80%er. I did manage to really hammer keeping my lats engaged during the squat which made a pretty massive difference. I think that will help immensely going forward, provided I focus on it.

Training Program/Split

I thought I would "share" a pseudo-program/split I put together a few years back for a couple athletes (I use quotations around share because nobody will actually see it, but I digress). I'm not going to proclaim it the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I do think it is a very solid program. I'm constantly considering using it, but I'm making progress with what I'm doing right now, so I need to simply stay the course.

I put the program together when I was a bit naïve, and not completely informed as to the “hows” and “whys” behind some of the programming principles used by other coaches. However, it worked out OK, as I think it is still a solid program, and a solid split. In fact, while I will outline several variations, I think that the split itself can be used as a guideline for other templates.

Basically, I came up with it because I like full body training, especially for athletes. It’s what I cut my teeth on in the “strength and conditioning” industry, and as such, has largely been my go-to when programming for both myself and athletes. With that said, I’m not quite as sold on its superiority anymore, but I also think it is very much individual, and some people thrive on full body training, while others will do better with upper/lower splits.

I initially wrote it for athletes, however, I did not factor in and prescribe other training, such as sprinting, change of direction, jumping, med ball throws, etc. In hindsight, I should and would do that, and as such, it would greatly change the program in and of itself. That said, I think that the general theme can absolutely stay the same, merely massaging and changing some of the particulars to fit the situation.

You will also notice there is little to no overhead work. After reading some coaches I respect a lot, I’ve greatly reduced, and in some cases eliminated, overhead work for many of my athletes. If you feel that you are fine with overhead work, that’s fine. Simply plug it in on the pressing days.

Anyway, I wanted to marry the Westside tenets of exercise rotation and concurrent training of multiple qualities within the week, while still avoiding too much stress. Ergo, I did away with max effort lower body work, while still keeping max effort and rep effort work for the upper body. As well, in an effort to keep the body fresh for the lower body session on Friday (or whatever your day 3 is), I put only single-leg work on Wednesdays. This was also because I kept reading how important single-leg work is and wanted to include it, but didn’t feel that it needed to be as prominent as some think. I’m not going to say it’s not, but if you would rather simply do some bilateral lower body assistance work on that day, that is fine too.

I put the rep effort pulling on Monday with squatting because I feel like the back will be a bit too fatigued after deadlifting to really put forth its best work after. Obviously this doesn’t mean you can’t do it that way, but in my head, that’s the rationale and I think it’s sound.

I also wanted to get some heavy pulling in for the upper body, but it’s can be tough to do with traditional barbell exercises. Therefore, I simply use pullup variations as the max effort pulling work. If you want to figure up some heavy horizontal pulling, have at it, but try to choose some sort of chest-supported variation so that the low back doesn’t become the limiting factor. You could probably also use Pendlay rows if you want to use a barbell exercise.

There are many variations just within the way I originally wrote it, which I will outline, and then, as I will illustrate at the end, many variations thereof that you can make as offshoots.

So here’s the general template:

Day 1

Squat variation

A. Upper pull – rep effort

B. Upper push – modified rep effort

Ab wheel or other moderately heavy ab work

Day 2

A. Max effort pullup variation

B. Quad-dominant single-leg variation

A. Max effort press variation

B. Posterior chain single-leg variation

Ab wheel or other moderately heavy ab work

Day 3

Deadlift variation

A. Upper push – rep effort

B. Upper pull – modified rep effort

Ab wheel or other moderately heavy ab work

A few other notes:

-          I utilize a partial range of motion squat variant with a full or extra ROM deadlift variant, and vice versa. So if I have a front squat, I may use the trap bar deadlift (high handles), rack pull, etc. as the deadlift variation. If I’m using a parallel or higher box squat (because an ass-to-grass Olympic squat is my default squat), I’ll use low-handle trap bar deadlifts, deadlifts from the floor or a deficit, etc.

-          The rep effort work is pretty much always a body weight or dumbbell variation. If the athlete is pretty strong, we simply add weight to the body weight movements with chains or a weight vest if you have one. The modified rep effort work is usually a dumbbell movement. If you use a dumbbell variation for the rep effort work, choose a weight that you can get 20+ reps with.

-          The ab work is pretty much optional, though I would recommend you do it. That said, you can do lower-intensity ab work on the days between if you wish

Exercise selection – this is not a complete list

Squat

Olympic squat (I just call this a squat)

Front squat

Box squat (various heights)

Safety squat bar squat

Buffalo bar squat

Low bar squat

High bar squat

Change depth, foot positioning, etc.

RE pull

Pullups (palms facing away)

Chinups (palms facing toward you)

Neutral-grip chin-ups (palms facing each other)

Blast strap/TRX pullups

Blast strap/TRX inverted Rows

Blast strap/TRX inverted Rows, feet on bench

Barbell inverted rows

Barbell inverted rows, feet on bench

Kroc rows

RE press

Pushups

Barbell pushups

Feet-elevated pushups

Handstand pushups

Dips

ME pull

Same as RE

ME press

Any barbell pressing movement – change grip width, incline, etc.

Deadlift

Deadlift

Deadlift from deficit (no more than 2-3” max)

Trap bar deadlift

Low handle trap bar deadlift

Rack deadlift (various deadlift)

Elevated deadlift (on mats, blocks, etc.)

Snatch-grip deadlift

Stiff-leg deadlift

Stiff-leg deadlift from deficit

Stiff-leg deadlift from elevated surface

Sumo deadlift

Semi-sumo deadlift

Sumo rack deadlift (various heights)

Semi-sumo rack deadlift (various heights)

Where is the trap work? The gun show work? Direct shoulder/forearm/whatever else work? You can include it where you want. If you still have some “go” after the main stuff, throw it in at the end, otherwise it can be done on the days in between. Allow at least 1 full day between the heavy days. The other stuff can be done on those days.

Putting it together

So, let’s say you’ve decided, for the first 4 weeks, your exercises will be:

Squat – Parallel box squat

RE upper pull – blast strap inverted rows

Modified RE upper press – DB bench press

ME upper pull – weighted chin-ups

Quad dominant single-leg – walking lunges

ME press – close-grip bench

Posterior chain dominant single-leg – single-leg RDL

Deadlift – low-handle trap bar deadlift

RE press – barbell pushups

Modified RE upper pull – Yates rows

There are a few options for what to do with each slot, at least that I have come up with. I’m sure others could come up with more.

Main lower work (squat or deadlift variation) – Week 1 – 3x5, 3x3; Week 2 – 6x3, Week 3 – 8x3

If you want, simply choose your own weights for these lifts. This will allow you to push it as hard or moderate as you want to. If going moderate, you would probably want to be around a 7 or 8 on Mike Tuchscherer's RPE scale. Or, you may utilize percentages (which I like), which allows you to modulate the effort a bit more. While most will argue that you must go as heavy as possible on everything always, I believe, and KNOW, that that is not at all true. Submaximal weights are not only a method of getting stronger, but in many cases superior to maximal weights. In such a case, use a semi-conservative estimate for your maximum and simply progress from 70% in week 1, 75% in week 2, and 80% in week 3, with an option of working up to a non-psyched 1RM AFTER your 8x3 in week 3.

The RE work which follows the main work on Days 1 and 3, again, can be done a few different ways. The first way I have done it is to use a few warm-up sets of 10 reps, with a third all-out set, with the goal of beating your reps each week. An alternative would be to do your all-out set first, then utilize rep drop-offs (probably 20% per set) for each successive set. So if you get 25 on the first set, the second set would be 20 (25-20%), and the 3^rd set would be 16 (20-20%). The modified rep effort work is done for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps. I usually superset these two exercises as well.

The Day 2 exercises are usually 3x5 or 3x3 for the upper pull, and working up to a 5RM (week 1), 3RM (week 2), and 1RM (week 3) for the upper pressing movement.

Unlike some, I’m not married to any single “program” any more than I’m married to any single exercise or loading scheme. The fact is, different athletes, different situations, different sports, etc. all may dictate different programming approaches. With that said, I do think the aforementioned “program” provides a very solid framework and starting point from which we can create programs for those with different needs. For instance, if you are an athlete, and have to do sprint work, change of direction, energy systems development, explosive work, and so on, your weight work is secondary at best, if not tertiary. However, the template can still serve as a useful jumping off spot. Consider:

Day 1

Squat – moderate to heavy

Upper pull – RE

Upper push – modified RE

Day 2

Upper pull – heavy

Single leg quad dominant OR bilateral lower assistance

Upper push – heavy

Single leg posterior chain OR bilateral lower assistance

Day 3

Deadlift OR squat – moderate to heavy

Upper push – RE

Upper pull – modified RE

And any smaller/assistance work can be sprinkled in around it. I included an OR on day 3 due to the fact that some coaches do not use deadlifts with their athletes (I don’t either in some cases). In such a case, another squat day works fine. However, again, this is merely a 3 day template for weights, which certainly does not have to be followed. Some athletes have 4 days to lift, some only 2. In each case, a different program entirely is likely necessary.

Keep in mind also that “heavy” in such a case does not have to mean “maximal.” Athletes do not have to lift heavy to get stronger, and in many cases it may actually be detrimental. As such, something like the submaximal effort method may be of great use in those instances, because of the decreased stress it imparts on the athlete’s body and nervous system.

You could easily utilize something like 5/3/1 for your “big” lifts, or even a modified version if you so choose. Jumps and/or lower-body centric med ball throws on day 2 would probably be a good idea, too. The possibilities are endless.